Derekscope

• Jupiter reaches opposition and is at its closest distance to Earth for the year.
  o
• At opposition, Jupiter is not only closest but also largest in apparent size, making details easier to see.
  o

Observing Tips

• Binoculars (7×50 or 10×50)
  Spot the four Galilean moons.
  o
• Small telescope (80–100mm)
  See cloud bands and the Great Red Spot.
  o
• Medium telescope (150mm+)
  Watch moon shadows crossing Jupiter’s disk.
  o
• Urban observers
  Jupiter is bright enough to cut through light pollution,
  so even city skies offer a good view.
  o

Algol Minima

o

• The bright variable star Beta Persei (Algol) reaches its minimum brightness at 23:21 pm in the late evening on Friday 9th January and will be visible from the UK.
  o
• Here’s a list of upcoming minimum brightness times for Algol – read more.
  o

• Mars will be in solar conjunction with the Sun, making it completely unobservable.
  o
• At this time in late morning at 11:07am, Mars lies on the far side of the solar system from Earth, hidden in the Sun’s glare.
  o

Algol Minima

o

• The bright variable star Beta Persei (Algol) reaches its minimum brightness at 02:32 am in the early morning on Wednesday 7th January and will be visible from the UK.
  o
• Here’s a list of upcoming minimum brightness times for Algol – read more.
  o

• Venus is hidden in the Sun’s glare, so it cannot be observed safely.
  o
• Because of alignment : Earth > Sun > Venus, all in a straight line at 17:10 / 5.10pm.
  o
• Superior conjunction happens about every 584 days. / 1.6 calendar year.
  o

• The Moon will pass close to Messier 44 (the Beehive Cluster) on both Sunday 4th and Monday 5th January 2026.
  o
• The Moon’s brightness will wash out much of the Beehive’s faint stars, but binoculars will still reveal the brighter groups of stars.
  o

• The full moon on Saturday 3 January 2026 is widely classified as a “Moon After Yule”. (Wolf Moon as US moon folklore name ~ In the UK, we call it – Moon After Yule.)
  o
• The first supermoon of the year, meaning the Moon is nearly at its closest point to Earth (perigee) when it becomes full, so it can appear slightly larger and brighter than a typical full moon.
  o

• With binoculars, look for the Moon near Jupiter, you’ll spot all four of Jupiter’s moons.
  o

Algol Minima

o

• The bright variable star Beta Persei (Algol) will reach its minimum brightness at 05:13 am in the early morning on Sunday 4th January and will be visible from the UK.
  o
• Here’s a list of upcoming minimum brightness times for Algol – read more.

oooo

• The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on the night of Saturday 3rd January 2026, with the sharp maximum expected in the early hours of Sunday 4th January.
  o
• It is one of the strongest annual showers, but its peak lasts only a few hours.
  o
• Up to 80–120 meteors per hour under ideal dark-sky conditions.
  o
• Unfortunately, a bright full Moon occurs on 3rd January, which will wash out many fainter meteors ~ Observers should block the Moon from view and focus on the brighter Quadrantids.
  o
• The Quadrantids are visible across the entire Northern Hemisphere, including the UK, and they radiate from a point in the sky near the constellation Boötes, close to the Ursa Major (the Plough).
  o
• BSL Version

oooo